The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-01-08
THE SEVEN WONDERS.
WHAT NEW YORK HAS TO SHOW
IN GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS.

An Interesting Field of Inquiry-The
Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of
Liberty Included in All Lists-VariOus
Minor Wonders.
A friend from a distance who intends
to make a flying visit to this city, and
wishes to make the best use of his limited
time, writes to ask what are the great
sights of New York. ''Will you,'' he
writes, ''clothe yourself with the dis
eliminating judgment of PhilO of Bryan
tium and name the seven wonders of New
York? The seven wonders of the ancient
world, according to this writer, were the
pyramids, the hanging gardens at Baby
lon, the temple of Diana at Ephesus, the
statue of Jupiter at Athens, the mausO
1eum, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the
Pharos of Alexander. Now what are the
corresponding wonders of New York;"
1t would be easy to make fun of this
application, but treated seriously it opens
an interesting field of inquiry. What
might be named as the seven most re-
markable achievements of mind over
matter that this city can show? We put
this query to a number OF citizens, and
the lists they returned will make a basis
for a tentative one of our own selection,
upon which we invite the criticism Of our
readers, in order that our friend from
the provinces may get the benefit of every
point of view.
VARIOUS LISTS.
One list is as follows: The Brooklyn
bridge, the aqueduct, statue of Liberty,
the elevated railroads, any large office
building, including the elevator system,
fourteen story flats, the Central depot and
approaches. Another list reads: Brook
lyn bridge, statue of Liberty, artificial
Ill a11oVo
building, Casino theater, St. Patrick's
cathedral, John L. Sullivan. A third is:
Brooklyn bridge, elevated railroads,
statue of Liberty, High Bridge, Grants
tomb, sub-treasury vaults, st. Patrick's
cathedral And a fourth makes these
selections: Brooklyn bridge, Vanderbilt
viaduct Navarro flats, statue of Liberty,
the elevated railroads, Central park,
COney island
1t will be seen that all opinions concur
in putting the Brooklyn bridge and the
statue of Liberty among the seven won
derS. Three of the four include in the
list the elevated railroad system. Two
name ST. Patricks cathedral, a represen-
tative apartment house of the sky scrap
ing pattern, and the railroad engineering
work of the Vanderbilt roads from the
Harlem river to the Grand Central depot
as worthy to be classed on the list. By
appellatiOn of the aqueduct two of the
jurors would agree also to include that
great work in the schedule of wonders.
There remain number of works that
are well worthy of consideration, though
named by only a single juror. Grants
tomb, for instance, possesses human in
terest which is unique. Whatever may
be the architectural display at the spot,
its chief interest to visitors will consist
in the patriotic associations which center
there. The tomb is properly included in
any list of scenes in and about New York
which an American visitor should see
sUB-TREAsURY BUILDING.
Then there is the sub-treasury build
ing, not impressive in architecture, but
wonderful as national treasure house.
Here the visitor may see the largest
amount of metallic money to be found in
any building on the continent, if not in
the world, and greater, probably, than
any similar collection of antiquity. This
fact ccT tainly invests the sub-treaSury
with q peculiar interest. Another sug
gestiyc selection is Central park, and
Couey sland is still another. Much that
is wonderful is expressed by each of these
titles. The Hell Gate improvements are
truly remarkable. Our large Office build
iaxs are also amazing, and they are All
absolute novelty in the world. Solomon
to the contrary notwithstanding. And
then the glimpse at modern business
afforded by visit TO the produce or the
stock exchange is fairly to be ranked
among the greatest of metropolitan mar
vels. The beautiful Casino theatre is a
gem in its way, and few would dispute
the claims of Mr.. John L. Sullivan to
pre-eminence in his line If anybody
does dispute these claims, that is the
man, as we understand it, that Mr.. John
L. Sullivan is looking zlr
Now, out of these lists, we venture to
suggest, under correction, that the seven
wonders of New York are: The Brooklyn
bridge, the statue of Liberty, the ele-
waited railroad system, the great flats,
Central park, the Vanderbilt viaduct,
and the sub-treasury vaults. But, as we
have said, we are willing to hear criti-
cism on this selection.-New York Com
mercial Advertiser.